Marvel's Moon Knight: Trailer, Release Date, Casting, and Everything to Know

We're just a few days away from the premiere of Moon Knight. When the new series belonging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 4 arrives on Disney+, audiences will meet Oscar Isaac in the titular role. He plays Steven Grant, a gift shop employee with a dissociative identity disorder. Grant becomes increasingly disoriented as he discovers another identity within his body: the mercenary Marc Spector, who is connected to Egyptian gods.

Based on the Marvel Comics, Moon Knight also stars Ethan Hawke as the antagonist Arthur Harrow, and May Calamawy as Layla, a woman with ties to Spector. TV Guide has collected everything we know about the Disney+ series, including the premiere date, the cast, trailers, and what to know about Moon Knight's backstory.

Latest News

On March 10, Marvel dropped a new featurette that introduces the series and gives us the most comprehensive look thus far at the character. "The fun of Moon Knight is getting introduced to a new superhero and a new world," Hawke begins in the clip. Isaac says, "Our job was to kind of put a lens on the things that had the most dramatic juice. And ultimately take the mental health aspect incredibly seriously." Director Mohamed Diab elaborates on Moon Knight's multiple identities: "The way we're tackling the story, we learn about Steven and then learn about Marc. And they're the same person."

Trailer and Teasers

The official trailer for Moon Knight shows Isaac as Steven before he receives a phone call in which a woman addresses him as Marc. "Why did you call me Marc?" Isaac asks in the clip. Later, Hawke's Arthur Harrow says to "embrace the chaos" before Marc is encased by the Moon Knight suit. See below for the full trailer. 

During Super Bowl LVI, Marvel dropped teasers for the upcoming show. They include a 30-second video that features much more of Hawke as Arthur Harrow, and additional glimpses of Marc Spector struggling to separate his waking moments from his dreaming ones. Marvel also released a brand new poster showing Isaac as the Moon Knight. 

Release Date

Moon Knight premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 30. The season will consist of six episodes.

Casting

Oscar Isaac leads the series. Director Aaron Moorhead confirmed Isaac's casting via tweet in early January 2020. Days later, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported that May Calamawy would be joining Isaac in an unannounced role. Disney+ finally confirmed the news in May 2021. 

Ethan Hawke is playing the villain. THR also broke the news that Ethan Hawke is joining the cast as the show's main villain. This marks Hawke's first foray into the MCU.

Who Is Moon Knight?

The character's backstory is fun. Created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin, Moon Knight first popped up in Werewolf by Night in 1975. Since then he's teamed up with the Avengers, the Secret Avengers, and the X-Men too, including She-Hulk. Unless the MCU rewrites his origin story, Marc Spector is a former boxer who becomes a marine and later a mercenary. After he gets involved with the Egyptian gods (it's a long story!), he's offered a chance to redeem himself by becoming a god's avatar on Earth. He calls himself "The Fist of Khonshu," with Khonshu being the ancient Egyptian god of the moon. He's also got multiple alter egos and is frequently compared to DC Comics' Batman.

Every Upcoming Marvel Movie and Series Release Date

The character has vague powers. Thanks to his military training he's got the skills of a soldier, but when it comes to being a superhero those are a little murky. He's got a high pain tolerance and depending on the situation, his multiple personalities either aid or hinder him when it comes to fighting others. Also, considering his powers are from the moon god, his powers are dependent on lunar cycles.

But at least he has a cool costume! Parts of his suit are made of adamantium (aka, what Wolverine's claws are made from) and has a giant cape to help him fall with style from great heights.

Behind the Scenes

The directing slate is impressive. Deadline was first to report that Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab had been tapped to direct Moon Knight. Aaron Moorhead and his directing partner Justin Benson will also be directing "several episodes," per THR.

The show comes from Jeremy Slater. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Slater has been tapped to develop and lead the writing team for the new series. Slater is behind Netflix's comic book adaptation of The Umbrella Academy. He was also a co-writer on 2015's Fantastic Four.

Marvel has been trying to make a Moon Knight movie or TV series for years. Way back in 2006, Marvel discussed bringing Moon Knight to the small screen with a series, before the MCU was even a thing. However, that fell through. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn then said that he once pitched a Moon Knight movie, but it never came to be. 

How to Watch

Moon Knight premieres Wednesday, March 30 on Disney+. A new episode will be released each Wednesday.